The Benedictine University Mesa men's volleyball team delivered a strong all-around performance to secure a straight-set victory over Soka University of America on Saturday, winning by scores of
25-22, 25-22, and 25-15.
Set One – Benedictine 25, Soka 22
The opening set was tightly contested from the first serve, with both teams trading points through the early stages. Benedictine leaned heavily on its middle and right-side attack, with
Jacob Saechao and
Ethan Russel providing consistent kills off sets from
John Jakaitis.
After trailing late at 21-13, Benedictine surged with an impressive rally fueled by aggressive serving and disciplined blocking. Jakaitis recorded a pivotal service ace, and the Redhawks closed the set on a 12–1 run. Saechao finished the comeback with consecutive kills and a service ace to seal the set win and give Benedictine early momentum.
Set Two – Benedictine 25, Soka 22
Benedictine carried its energy into the second frame, jumping out to early scoring runs behind strong net play from
Ryder Kelley and
Travis Kelly. The Redhawks' defense played a major role, turning back multiple Soka attacks with timely blocks and forcing offensive errors.
Soka responded with balanced scoring to keep the set close, but Benedictine answered every challenge. Late kills from Russel and Kelley, combined with strong serving pressure from Saechao, allowed the Redhawks to pull away in the final points. Saechao capped the set with a decisive kill to put Benedictine ahead two sets to none.
Set Three – Benedictine 25, Soka 15
The Redhawks took full control in the third set, opening up an early lead and never looking back. Benedictine's offense became more varied, with
Joseph Washington,
Raphael Mkpegue, and
Tucker Cunningham all contributing from the outside and middle positions.
Defensively, Benedictine was dominant at the net. A series of solo and assisted blocks by Russel, Washington, and Mkpegue stifled Soka's attack and led to extended scoring runs. The Redhawks closed the match on a strong push, highlighted by a thunderous kill from Russel to finish the sweep.
